Sometimes Hate Means Love
by Kisses Under The Apple Tree
Summary: Padma and George are broken, two shattered halves of a heart. Slowly, through a mixture of hatred and love, they start to heal, but how can two people from such completely different worlds combine their lives?
1. The Shop

_Before anyone goes nuts, I know neither of the Patil twins died in the books, but in the movies one twin and Trelawney are covering a body. I say it's Pavarti because of the black hair and I always found her a little pathetic. This is my take of George and Padma coping._

I stood there in shock. Seven years in Ravenclaw, away from her could never prepare me for this. I looked at my twin's dead body, my Pavarti. I looked across the hall, and saw Fred Weasley dead as well, George crying over his body. I don't know why I looked towards him. For a second our eyes met, and then he looked away. Pavarti always had a crush on Fred. It had been six years now after the battle where I lost my sister. Susan Bones dragged me into Weasley Wizard Wheezes, trying desperately to cheer me up. I'd briefly dated Neville Longbottom, but he was too awkward. I looked around in boredom and spotted that flaming red hair. George Weasley was selling a love potion without his former bravado. Sue went over to him as I studied the Pygmy Puffs in fascination. He came over and grinned lifelessly.

"Hello Patil. How's Pavarti?" he said. I stiffen and glared at him.

"Dead, just like _your_ twin." I hissed coldly. He flinched and glared back nastily.

"Oh, that's just cruel." He looked at me in pure disgust, and then sighed. His breath stunk of whisky.

"I'm sorry about your sister. I know how it feels. Do you wanna go for a drink?" I gaped at him. Like every other girl in the school, I had a small crush on the twins. Pavarti always preferred Fred, but I knew they were _way _out of my league so I ignored them. I wanted to continue on my path of being a charms master.

"You ignored me at school, and you actually threw a glowing potion in my face once, why would you be interested in me?" he frowned. I noticed the hole in the side of his head, reminding me of a muggle book that's title I can't remember.

"My other brothers and sister understand what it's like to lose a sibling, not a twin. His girlfriend," I noticed how he avoided saying the name, just like I did. "Angelina is dating Lee Jordan, so no one really understands. Maybe you will." I was still wary.

"How can I trust you?" he grinned at this.

"You can't. Come on, just as mates. Please?" I groaned. Susan beckoned for me to leave the shop.

"We aren't even that, but fine."

"I'll meet you at the cauldron at six?" I nodded before spinning on my heel and leaving.


	2. The Weasel Scores!

I'd been surprisingly nervous about meeting her at the pub. She had gotten prettier over the last few years, and she'd always been gorgeous. I'd had a little crush on her, but she was in Ravenclaw so she always studied. I remember when I slipped and my glowing potion went all over her. She made tentacles grow out of places I never thought possible. I dressed in an old jacket and jeans, before leaving for the pub. She was at the bar, wearing a dress. It was cream coloured and had a light blue sash. I felt my heart flip-flop a little. She turned and smirked.

"Ready Weasley?" I rolled my eyes and ordered a firewhisky. She watched me in disgust.

"Where are my manners? Want one?" I said to her. She wrinkled her nose.

"Why are you drinking Weasley? You stunk of that stuff at three, which meant you were already drunk." I wondered what she'd ended up doing with her life. If _he_ was here we'd have made a bet, on a healer probably.

"Numbs it all. What did you end up doing with your life, little miss study my arse off." She narrowed her eyes.

"I work in the charms ward in St Mungo's. Head Charms master." Well, she had done well.

"You know what, I'll have some vodka, I'm sick of people judging me." She said, ordering the muggle drink. After seven firewhiskies and twelve vodkas, we were stumbling into the apartment, lips locked ferociously. I woke up the next morning with the shower running. I looked in to see her using it. I stared at her dark back until she turned to wet it. I looked at her chest plainly.

"Ahh! Weasley, PISS OFF!"

"You're using my shower Patil. I have a right to look." With this she put a towel around her, marched up to me and slapped the smile off my face. She slammed the door in my face, catching my finger. After a minute I was sitting at the table, rubbing my cheek. She came out, fully clothed and looked at me with contempt.

"That bloody hurt Patil." I pouted like a child.

"I do take tae kwon do." I wasn't surprised. "Anyways, thanks for the awful one night stand. I've gotta go." she grabbed her dress. Where the hell did she get those jeans and the t shirt she was wearing? She must have summoned them.

"I am not awful in bed! Why does it have to be a one night stand?"

"Because you're irritating and I have better things to do." I rolled my eyes. "Look Weasley, it wasn't fun, I probably won't remember you ever, goodbye." She marched out. Bloody hell that girl was cold.


	3. Doing a runner

_Six weeks later_

I was sitting on my bed in the apartment I shared with Luna, Susan and Hannah. I was reading my copy of Witch Weekly, which was going on about how Ginny Weasley was expecting. Rubbish, I talked to Potter and Granger last week, they wouldn't have been able to keep it in. Granger, however, was about seven months along. I found myself thinking about George Weasley. I would never admit it, but he was incredible shag. I heard he dated Angelina Johnson a few years ago. Hannah just came in with Justin Flinch-Fletchley. Good for her. Ernie Macmillan was with Luna, which was pretty cool but the idea of all my mates in relationships kind of made me sick. I decided to go to Diagon Alley for a while. The ice cream parlour was open for the first time in years, and walking in there made me feel sick in the stomach. They had the photo for advertising the owner took when I was seven. It was me and _her_ having an ice cream, double choc mint. Underneath our faces was a slogan. "Double choc mint always makes double trouble!" The owner smiled at me warmly. I ran from the parlour in tears and crashed into a flame of red hair. Someone held me out from them. The tears in my eyes blurred my vision but I could still see that it was George Weasley.

"Patil! Bloody hell, what's wrong?" he held me back gently. I felt six years of bottled up tears and sleepless nights spilled over. He looked terrified as he stared at me.

"Are you okay?" he whispered, pulling me away somewhere. I didn't bother to look around.

"Do I look okay? Piss off!" I sobbed. I was hiccoughing loudly as I said this.

"No, you don't. Tell me what happened." I batted away the comforting hand that was reaching for my shoulder.

"When I was seven my sister and I were in a wizard modelling station. Fortuce's hired us for a sign about their double choc mint because we were twins. I saw it and just… snapped." He nodded sympathetically.

"Mum was showing Hermione photos of Ron the other day. By the way, I beat the shit out of him after the Yule Ball. He shouldn't have treated a girl like you like that. Anyways, she found a photo of Fred and me on our first day at Hogwarts. I ran out of the house screaming and crying. Trust me, I know it sucks. The worst part is you are doing all the things they should have done."

"And everyone who's lost someone in the war acts like they know, but none of them know how close you were to your twin." I nodded in agreement. I realised we were in his apartment again, on the couch. I felt tears running down my cheeks. I must have looked like a raving bloody mess. I wiped my eyes on my sleeve. He was studying my face now, probably trying to think up a snide remark. I stared back, feeling myself sink into his eyes. Fresh tears started to fall from my dark eyes. His thumb ran over my cheek, wiping it dry. Slowly he leant forward and pressed his lips to mine. I sunk into it before pulling back. I sat back and stared at him in distaste.

"No way am I going to let you shag me again. Your shower sucks." He chuckled in a low, attractive voice.

"I know." He wrapped his arms around my waist and crushed me to him. He used his own hands to pull my arms around his neck. He kissed me slowly and deeply. For some reason I didn't pull back. It wasn't like the awkward kisses I had with Neville, or the drunken ones from Weasley a few weeks ago, this was very different. This was soft, gentle and caring. We sat there kissing for a while until his arsehole of a brother Ron came in. He gaped for a minute before leaving. I was starting to get into it now, tangling my fingers in his long red hair. I pulled back for a minute to catch my breath.

"Something wrong baby?" he smirked at me. I smacked his arm.

"Never call me that. This is just something small, in fact it's nothing."

"Okay." He leaned in again. We sat like that for hours, his hand occasionally grabbing at my chest. After another hour he carried me to his bedroom. It amazed me how long he held out. I awoke the next morning. He was still dead to the world, so I decided on a clean break. Thank god for apparition. I appeared in my living room with my stuff. Luna was sitting on Ernie's lap. Only then did I realise that I left my bra in his apartment. My chest fruit was jiggling slightly as they turned to me. Luna burst into uncharacteristic giggles and I fled to the safety of my room. Maybe it was strange, two Hufflepuffs and two Ravenclaws living together. Slytherin and Gryffindor constantly vied for top spot, but not many people knew that Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff fought over second place. It was a constant war, only ever united by our hatred for Slytherin. Susan and I met after the battle. She was one of _her_ cronies and wanted to comfort me. Lavender died that night too, so she lost her two friends. After a year of living alone, she begged me to move in with her. She came into my apartment one day, and I was cutting my wrist. I was losing it. She literally dragged me out of there, to where she was sharing an apartment with Hannah Abbott. A few weeks later Luna moved in, thus completing our mismatched band. Luna's father was running the Quibbler but didn't approve of her relationship with Ernie. Hannah was dating Seamus Finnegan in a "Friends with Benefits" style. _She_ would have fumed over that, _her_ and Lavender staked their claim on him in third year. I liked these girls; I just didn't like the fact that I was starting an "Enemies with Benefits" relationship with one George Weasley.


	4. Why bloody me?

_Hi! I'm so SO sorry about not updating. I just got lazy. Forgive me!_

_A month later_

When I woke up, there was a note lying on the bedside table. Her bra was on the floor, and she'd disappeared.

Thanks for the fun, it was interesting. Nice to know you're terrible now I'm sober.

Padma P.

I had that note in my hand now as I knocked on her door, a month later. My hand was shaking as I waited. Why was I getting all worked up over a little study nerd? She wasn't anything special, in fact she annoyed me. When she ran out of the ice cream parlour and into my arms, something clicked in my head. I wasn't exactly sure I liked it. Loony Lovegood answered the door, looking as dotty as ever.

"Oh, hello George. How are you?" she asked. This girl's mad as a March hare.

"Fine. And you?"

"I've been a little bothered by nargles at the moment, and I'm dating Rolf Scamander, Newt Scamander's grandson." Oh Godric, shut her up! "Why are you here?"

"I, uh, wanna see Patil." I said. She frowned in confusion.

"You mean Padma? Okay." She leant back. "Padma! George Weasley's here to see you!" she came back to face me "I'm sorry about your brother. Goodbye George." She Disapparted. Patil came to the door, looking grumpy. She'd obviously just woken up.

"What do you want, weasel?"

"Bloody hell. You should be a little kinder. I had to talk to a very pregnant Granger to find out where you're living. She threw a knife at me! Almost lopped off my other ear doing it, might I add?" She tried to conceal a smile.

"How did you lose your ear?"

"Death Eater cursed it off."

"Bloody hell." She seemed impressed.

"Ah well, I know I'm going to heaven." Her brow creased in confusion.

"What?"

"Well, you see, I'm saint like now. Holey. Get it?" she rolled her chocolate brown eyes.

"So why are you here?"

"I wanna know if you'll come to dinner with me. If you say yes, I'll give you these flowers." I whipped a bouquet out from behind me. "If you say no, I'll give you these flowers." I whipped out another bouquet, equally beautiful but they were Exploding Flowers from the shop. I used a long, curly black hair that I found on my pillow from her so they would explode on contact with her skin. She looked from side to side at the flowers. She immediately grabbed the exploding ones. She touched a petal and… BOOM! Her hair was on fire.

"_Agumenti!_" I put out the fire and soaked her at the same time. She growled and launched herself at me. She was throttling me until that Susan Bones girl, who tried repeatedly to flirt with me at Hogwarts, came to the door.

"You know Padma, if you wanted privacy, you could have just asked for it." She smirked at the girl on top of me. I snaked my arm around her waist and pulled her to me. Susan tittered pathetically and closed the door. Padma shoved against my chest painfully to get up, before saying a very rude word. She had a very foul mouth.

"Now, now Patil. There's no need to language like that." I teased, getting up from the ground. She kicked me in the shins. "Bloody hell! Why do I even try?"

"I don't know. And if you're wondering why I hate you, you just set my hair on fire." She snarled.

"You're just cruel. Are you coming to dinner or not?" I had a slight pleading tone in my voice. It went all away, however temporarily, when she was around. Her hard eyes looked me over.

"Fine. I'll go, as long as you pay." With that she slammed the door in my face, taking the other flowers with her. I felt her filling presence leave me. What was with this angry, cold, nasty girl that made me feel strangely better? She was so mean, yet she seemed so warm. When she was curled up into my chest on the first night, I felt, not whole, but like I could be. I took a deep breath and Disapparted. Ginny was sitting in my apartment with Hermione, both were frowning.

"We need to talk George. Why are you so interested in Padma Patil all of a sudden?" Hermione rose- with some difficulty because of that enormous stomach, might I add- and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Do I really need to explain?" I groaned. These two were around all the time after _he_ died, they never left me alone. When Ginny had baby James she let up a bit, but never Hermione. She bugged me like crazy, constantly either at the apartment or the shop. She was actually watching to see if I was going to commit suicide, she never said so but I could tell. One day, a week after her honeymoon, she dragged me outside. We went to Scotland for a while, and a rouge Dementor came up to us. She'd forgotten her wand and I had mine. I tried to cast my silver fox, trying desperately to produce a patronus to save us both but all my happy memories involved _him._ I passed her my wand and her silver otter burst forth with amazing grace. I'd gone home after she finally let me and cried. I cried for _him,_ I cried for me and I cried for the fact I was going to die alone even if I was married and in love.

"Yes you do! Luna apparated to my house and told me you looked like a nervous wreck when you went to Padma's. What's going on?" Ginny demanded. James was a few weeks old now and striving. I visited often, just like I did when Victorie, Lucas and Dominique were born

"I went to ask her to dinner. She said yes." I shrugged, attempting nonchalance. I knew it wasn't believable at all. "How's Ange?" I asked, desperate to change the subject.

"She's getting married to Lee." Hermione frowned at me. "Are you okay with that?" Angelina and I were dating for a year, but she was in love with _him_, not me. We split after a heated argument where she called me _his _name. I remember it was the first time I said it.

_Flashback_

_We'd gotten back for the five year anniversary of his death and Victorie's fourth birthday. We were fighting about something pathetic. She stormed off into our room, but not before saying the most hurtful thing she could._

_"You know Fred; I don't know why I bother anymore." She realised what she just said and her hand flew to her mouth._

_"I'M NOT FRED! I NEVER WILL BE! YOU DON'T REALLY LOVE ME, YOU LOVE HIM!" I screamed at her. "Get out." She remained where she was. "GET OUT!" she packed her stuff and left, leaving me crying in my room. I hated her for that. I ran into Alicia Spinnet a few months later, who told me that my so called friend Lee was dating her. I was furious. I stopped talking to both of them and almost completely disappeared from their lives. Whenever I saw Lee at the Cauldron or in the alley, I'd nod curtly and be on my way. I'd come to despise one of my closest friends, and the girl who I thought was the love of my life._

_End flashback_

"I'm fine with it. I couldn't be happier for them. Do you mind if I get some private time now? Have to prepare for dinner." They nodded and went home, leaving me to get ready.


End file.
